Tractor loaders



May 30, 1961 J, H. KONEFES TRACTOR LOADERS Original Filed Jan. 10, 1958 Ivvswroze Josspy -l/igoNE es PIA-Q6 M flfTOB NE v United States Patent TRACTOR LOADERS.

Joseph H. Konefes, Libertyville, lll., assignor to The Frank G. Hough 'Co., a corporation of Illinois 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-140) This invention relates generally to tractor loaders of the front end type, and more specifically to an improved bucket construction and arrangement for afront end type tractor loader. This invention is a division of mycopending application, Serial Number 708,195 filed January 10, 1958, now Patent No. 2,959,305, for Tractor Loaders.

Front end type tractor loaders, as generally known in the art, comprise a tractor having boom means operatively carried from the tractor and extending forwardly thereof. The forward end of the boom means is provided with bucket means, and further, generally some linkage means is. provided connected between the bucket and the tractor or the boom means for pivoting the bucket to its various necessary operating positions such as those for digging, carrying and dumping. Generally these linkage means as used in the art for controllingthe pivoting ofthe bucket arerather complicated and expensive. The complication has'been brought about by reason of various loader functions' which have become an operating requirement of tractor loaders. These requirements are that in digging thebucket should be positioned so that as the tractor is moved forwardly, the cutting edge of the bucket will cut into any material being worked along a substantially horizontal line. Further, when the bucket is loaded and the boom is raised to convenient position for carrying of the load to some remote position, the bucket must then be pivoted rearwardly an amount suflicient to retain substantially a maximum amount of the load within the bucket as the tractor is moved. Additionally, when the boom is raised to the high-lift dump position, the bucket must be pivoted by the linkage means sufiiciently to cause efi'icient dumping of the load from the bucket.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a tractor loader of the front end type with a bucket construction and arrangement such that the various necessary operations of the bucket are performed with. a minimum of elements for pivoting of the bucket.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a front end type tractor loader which will automatically adjust itself for proper cutting of any material to be worked and will automatically pivot to retain a maximum amount of any load worked into the bucket as the tractor travels.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a compound bucket for a front end type tractor loader wherein gravity is used in a number of operations of the bucket for properly positioning the bucket for those operations.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be, apparent upon a perusal of the following specification and drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor loader constructed according to the present embodiment;

Figure 2 is a partial sideelevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1 with the boom slightly raised above ground level;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1 with the bucket raised to the high-lift dump position; and

Figure 4 isa partial side elevational view of the structure shown in Figure l with the bucket. operated to the dump position.

The present embodiment is the preferred embodiment but it is to be understood that'changes can be made in the. present embodiment by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Generally, the present invention comprises a compound bucket constructionwherein the bucket is pivotally mounted at the cutting edge thereof on the forward end of the boom. Various stops are provided on the sides of the bucket so that as the boom is raised and lowered or as the.

bucket encounters the ground, various certain pivoting. actions of the bucket relative to ground level and the boom will take place so that digging, carrying and dump.- ing of any material to be. worked may be efiiciently performed. No linkage means are provided between the bucket construction and. the tractor. The bucket is divided into two halves with the line of division extending from the cutting edge upwardly and rearwardly to the rear edge of the upper wall of the bucket. When the boom is lowered to the ground level digging position, the bottom of the bucket will rest upon the ground to position the bucket for cutting. A stop on the bucket will prevent the bucket from being pivoted to cut too deep. When the boom is raised, gravity will cause the bucket to be pivoted rearwardly to a position wherein certain stops will keep the bucket in'a good load retaining position as the boom is raised. For dumping, it is merely necessary to unlatch the-bucket and the two bucket halves will be opened by gravity a distance sufiicient to permit the loaded material to fall therefrom.

For a detail description of the present invention, reference is made to the drawing. The tractor 10 is of the four-wheel rubber tired type having a rearwardly disposed engine compartment 11 and a forwardly disposed operators compartment 12. A boom 13 is provided in duplicate portions disposed on each side of the tractor 10. One end of each portion of the boom 13 is pivotally mounted on the tractor by means of mounting means 14. Each portion of the boom 13 extends forwardly of the tractor 10. A pair of hydraulic rams 15 disposed one on each side of the tractor 10 are provided for raising and lowering the boom 13-. The head end of each hydraulic ram 15 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 16 which is mounted on the tractor 10 by means of pivotal mounting means 17. The rod end of each hydraulic ram 15 is pivotally mounted on one portion of the boom '13 intermediate the ends thereof by means of pivotal mounting means 18. Suitable hydraulic fluid, conduits, pump and valve means (not shown) are provided for operation of the hydraulic rams 15. Thus it may be seen that as the hydraulic rams 15 are extended, the boom is raised, and as the rams are retracted the boom 13 is lowered.

The bucket 45 comprises two bucket halves 46 and 47. The upper bucket half or portion 46 comprises a somewhat U-shaped element of a pair of spaced apart side walls 48 interconnected by a top wall 49. The other half or portion 47 of the bucket 45 comprises a pair of spaced apart side walls 50 interconnected by a curved plate 51 which forms the bottom and rear walls of the bucket. The forward marginal edge of the curved plate 51 is provided with a cutting edge52. The two bucket halves or portions are pivotally interconnected at the lower forward marginal edge of the side walls 48 of the portion 46 and the forward marginal edge of the portion 47.- The two portions 46 and. 47 of the bucket 45 cooperate to form a complete bucket in a plane extending from the cutting edge upwardly and rearwardly to the junction of the upper wall and the rear wall when the Patented May 30, 19.61

bottom wall of the bucket is in a substantial horizontal position. The latch 53 locks the two portions 46 and 47 of the bucket together. The bucket 45 is pivotally mounted on the boom 13 at a point adjacent the lower forward edge of the bucket 45 by pivotal mounting means 54. The axis of pivoting of the bucket 45 on the boom 13 coincides with the axis of pivoting of the two bucket portions 46 and 47 relative to each other. The bucket 45 is further provided with two stop blocks 55 and 56. The stop block 55 is mounted on the side wall 50 of the bucket half 47 and is positioned to engage the underside of the boom when the cutting edge 52 is forced downwardly in the digging operation to limit the downward penetration of the cutting edge 52. The stop block 56 is mounted on the side wall 48 of the bucket half 46 and is positioned to engage the boom 13 when the boom is raised and the weight of the bucket causes a pivoting about the axis of pivotal mounting means 54 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3. The bucket stop 56 provides for a proper disposition of the bucket in the carrying position so that a maximum load is retained therein as the tractor is moved. The stop blocks 55 and 56 maybe formed in duplicate with identical stops on the other side wall of the bucket and either or both of the stop blocks 55 and 56 may be adjustable stop blocks to provide for adjustability of the digging position and the load carrying position.

The latch 53 may be spring loaded to the latched position and releasable by a line (not shown) extending from the latch 53 to the operators compartment 12.

Turning next to a description of the operation of the instant embodiment, continued reference is made to the drawing. When the digging function is to be performed, the boom is lowered to the digging position such as shown in Figure l, and the contact of the ground with the bottom wall 51 of the bucket 45 will position the cutting edge for cutting and loading of the bucket 45. If the material being cut and loaded causes the cutting edge 52 to be forced downwardly, the stop block 55 will limit the downward inclination of the cutting edge 52. After the bucket has been loaded, the boom is raised to the carrying position. As the boom is initially raised, the loaded bucket will pivot rearwardly or counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, to the position wherein the stop block 56 engages the boom 13 to prevent any further rearward pivoting or tilting of the bucket 45 relative to the boom 13. When the boom 13 is raised to the highlift position preparatory to dumping, the bucket 45 will assume the position shown in Figure 3. It should be noted that in this position the rear wall of the bucket is now positioned substantially in a horizontal plane and the center of gravity of the bucket half 47 with the load therein is between the latch 53 and the pivotal mounting means 54. When the latch 53 is released, the bucket half 47 will pivot away from the bucket half 46 to a position such as shown in Figure 4 permitting the load in the bucket to fall from within the confines thereof. The center of gravity of the empty half 47 of the bucket 45 will move to a point vertically below the pivotal mounting means 54. From the position shown in Figure 4, the boom 13 may be lowered to cause the bucket half 47 to engage the ground and pivot the bucket half 47 to again engage the latch 53 and lock the two halves of the bucket 45 together. The bucket may then again be operated through the described cycle of digging and dumping.

Having described the invention, what is considered new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tractor loader having a forwardly extending boom pivotally mounted on the tractor, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a top wall, said bucket divided into two bucket halves in a plane extending substantially from the junction of the forward marginal edges of said side walls and the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall through the junction of said rear wall with said top wall, means pivotally interconnecting said two bucket halves on a transverse axis positioned substantially adjacent the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, releasable means mounted at the junction of said top wall and said rear wall for locking said two bucket halves together, a cutting edge mounted substantially on the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, means pivotally mount ing said bucket on the forward end of said boom for pivotal movement about the same transverse axis that said two bucket halves are relatively pivotable, and stop means mounted on said bucket for engaging said boom in different pivotal positions of said bucket relative to said boom to limit the pivotal movement of said bucket relative to said boom.

2. In a tractor loader having a forwardly extending boom pivotally mounted on the tractor, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a top wall, said bucket divided into two bucket halves of an upper bucket half and a lower bucket half by a plane extending substantially from the junction of the forward marginal edges of said side walls and the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall through the junction of said rear wall with said top wall, means pivotally interconnecting said two bucket halves on a transverse axis positioned substantially adjacent the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, releasable means mounted at the junction of said top wall and said rear wall for locking said two bucket halves together, a cutting edge mounted substantially on the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom for pivotal movement about the same transverse axis that said two bucket halves are relatively pivotable, stop means mounted on the lower bucket half for engagement with the underside of said boom rearwardly of the forward end thereof when said boom is lowered to ground level to limit the downward pivoting of said cutting edge in any digging operation, and second stop means mounted on said bucket to engage said boom for limiting the downward pivoting of said bucket when said boom is raised.

3. In a tractor loader having a forwardly extending boom pivotally mounted on the tractor, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a top wall, said bucket divided into two bucket halves of an upper bucket half and a lower bucket half by a plane extending substantially from the junction of the forward marginal edges of said side walls and the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall through the junction of said rear wall with said top wall, means pivotally interconnecting said two bucket halves on a transverse axis positioned substantially adjacent the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, releasable means mounted at the junction of said top wall and said rear wall for locking said two bucket halves together, a cutting edge mounted substantially on the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom for pivotal movement about the same transverse axis that said two bucket halves are relatively pivotable, stop means mounted on said bucket to engage said boom to limit the downward movement of said cutting edge, and second stop means mounted on said upper bucket half and extending outwardly therefrom sufficiently to engage the upper surface of said boom rearwardly of the forward end thereof and positioned so that said bucket is disposed at a substantially maximum load carrying angle when said boom is raised and so that when said boom is raised for dumping the plane of division of said two bucket halves is inclined downwardly and rearwardly of the transverse axis about which said bucket halves are relatively pivotable.

4. In a tractor loader having a forwardly extending boom pivotally mounted on the tractor, a bucket comprising a pair of spaced apart side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a top wall, said bucket divided into two bucket halves of an upper bucket half and a lower bucket half by a plane extending substantially from the junction of the forward marginal edges of said side walls and forward marginal edge of said bottom wall through the junction of said rear wall with said top wall, means pivotally interconnecting said two bucket halves on a transverse axis positioned substantially adjacent the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, releasable means mounted at the junction of said top wall and said rear wall for locking said two bucket halves together, a cutting edge mounted substantially on the forward marginal edge of said bottom wall, means pivotally mounting said bucket on the forward end of said boom for pivotal movement about the same transverse axis that said two bucket halves are relatively pivot-able, stop means mounted on the lower bucket half for engagement with the underside of said boom rearwardly of the forward end thereof when said boom is lowered to ground level to limit the downward pivoting of said cutting edge in any digging operation, and second stop means mounted on said upper bucket half and extending outwardly therefrom sufliciently to engage the upper surface of said boom rearwardly of the forward end thereof and positioned so that said bucket is disposed at a substantially maximum load carrying angle when said boom is raised and so that when said boom is raised for dumping, the plane of division of said two bucket halves is inclined downwardly and rearwardly of the transverse axis about which said bucket halves are relatively pivotable.

No references cited. 

